Aussie Auctions Battle for Opening Night

Australia’s The Age previews the opening auctions of the Australian art market season:

In defiance of an already challenging market, two big art sales will mark the start of the auction season tonight, with 515 works going under the hammer in Melbourne and Sydney.

The sales will be a litmus test of the market in these tight financial times. In Melbourne, Deutscher and Hackett will launch its inaugural Aboriginal art sale, while, in Sydney, Rod Menzies will auction 250 works in the Deutscher-Menzies and Lawson-Menzies fine art sale.

“It’s just madness having them all on the same night. The market is volatile enough as it is,” says art consultant and dealer Jon Dwyer.